1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a system and method for printing document data, more specifically, to an apparatus, system and method for selectively printing the whole or a part of document data depending on characteristics of the document data.
2. Description of the Related Art
There exists a printing system in the form that a printing device, such as MFP (Multifunction Peripheral) or the like receives document data from a personal computer through a network, such as LAN, etc., and prints it. In addition, there exists a printing system in the form in which a user selects out of a plurality of pieces of document data that have been registered in advance in a document registration server, the document data to be printed, while the printing device receives the document data that the user has selected from the document registration server and prints it.
When printing a document using these printing systems, a user may desire to print all pages of the document, or may desire to print only particular pages of the document. Further, even in a case in which the same document is to be printed, the user may desire to change a printing style (color binding printing, monochrome 2UP printing, etc.) of the document depending on the applications of the document.
As a method for printing only particular pages in a document, there is commonly known a technique to print particular pages of which page numbers are designated by a user (hereinafter referred to as “conventional technique 1”).
Further, another technique to add particular character data or particular image data to the pages to be printed when registering document data, and then to print only the pages in which these pieces of data are detected when printing (hereinafter referred to as “conventional technique 2”), is disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 06-180662 (1994). According to this technique, since the need for a user to designate the page numbers for each printing is eliminated, the user can print only necessary pages easily and quickly.
Additionally, there is known a technique to retain job tickets in a plurality of types, or create documents themselves in a plurality of types, and to register in a document registration server (hereinafter referred to as “conventional technique 3”), in a case in which the same documents are printed in different printing styles depending on their applications, or in a case in which only necessary pages are printed. Note that, by a job ticket, we mean a document in which print setting information, such as both sides printing, printing with finish binding, for example, is described.
On the other hand, there is also known a technique to generate automatically a billing, a kind of a form document (hereinafter referred to as “conventional technique 4”). For example, there is known a technique to merge a form file of billing (form template that indicates layout and fixed data of form) and field data using library, to create an output form of billing (Refer to FIG. 28). According to this technique, a billing for printing can be generated by inserting field data (for example, different amounts of money and names, etc. from customer to customer) into a predetermined field graphics in the form file of billing.
As described above, in printing of papers, such as form documents, there are cases where users may desire to print all pages of papers, and may desire to print only a certain pages. To take an insurance business by insurance salespersons as an example, when insurance salespersons make arrangements with a customer, they usually create estimate sheets in two copies. One copy is for the customer, another one copy is for the Principal. The estimate sheets in two copies, however, need not be necessarily of the same printing format. For example, the pages on which general contents including covenant and caution notes of insurance are described need to be included in the estimate sheet for the customer, but they do not need to be included in the estimate sheet for the Principal. This is because insurance salespersons who are specialists of insurance are thoroughly familiar with the general contents, and thus they need not to read such pages. That is, the estimate sheets for insurance salespersons are in no need of the pages on which general contents are described, and papers containing only the pages on which pieces of customer information including names, contract contents, estimate contents, etc. are described will be sufficed. In the following description, the pages on which the customer information, and the like are described are referred to as “variable pages”, whereas the pages on which general contents are described are referred to as “non-variable pages”.
Further, it is effective to enhance the appearance of estimate sheets for customers with binding and color representations, but estimate sheets for Principal in a simplified printing (for example, monochrome printing, non-binding) will be sufficed, and this is rather desirable since it can bring printing costs in line. Further, it is desirable that estimate sheets for insurance salespersons contain only variable pages picked out from the estimate sheets for customers for a plurality of customers whom insurance salespersons plan to visit on that day, which are then brought together in one set (Refer to FIGS. 24 to 27).
But, when printing of estimate sheets for customers (printing of both variable pages and non-variable pages) and printing of estimate sheets for insurance salespersons (printing of only variable pages) are performed, using the above-mentioned conventional technique, there arise the following problems.
In the conventional technique 1, when printing only a portion of discrete pages out of one document, once a user has to bring the entire document into view on a display, and then to designate a portion of pages on page-by-page basis, resulting in less efficiency, and also a great burden to the user.
In the conventional technique 2, when registering document data, it is needed for a user to set in advance particular character data and particular image data added to the pages that are scheduled to be printed, which will be a significant burden to the user.
In the conventional technique 3, a job ticket (print setting information) and a printing document itself have to be created and retained in a plurality of copies, which will put a significant burden upon a user, and remarkably increase the volume of data to be processed.
In the conventional technique 4, since a form document created from a form file and field data is a general-purpose file format such as PDF, etc., it is impossible to recognize which data in the form document after having been created was field data. That is, the same variable pages are contained in estimate sheets for customers and estimate sheets for salespersons, but in the conventional technique 4, it is impossible to recognize which pages are variable pages. Therefore, with respect to the same variable pages, a processing to convert them to a printer code that can be interpreted by the printer will have to be executed twice. This causes printing performance to deteriorate.